The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of summersweet plant, botanically known as Clethra alnifolia, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Crystalina’. This new summersweet was developed through a breeding program at North Carolina State University, Mills River, N.C. ‘Crystalina’ was selected from a population of approximately 1,500 open pollinated seedlings from Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’ (unpatented) in 2003. Seeds from the open pollination were collected in 2003 and selections were first made in 2006.
The first asexual propagation of ‘Crystalina’ was carried out in August 2006 by rooting stem cuttings in Mills River, N.C. and has been asexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings in North Carolina over a 3 year period. ‘Crystalina’ roots readily from softwood cuttings treated with a basal dip of 4,000 ppm indole butyric acid (potassium salt) in water. ‘Crystalina’ has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations via vegetative cuttings.